By Maddie Hayes
The University of Illinois is a truly amazing place to go to school. All 44,000 of us are lucky to call this place our home away from home. With that being said, this is such a big campus, and at times it can feel overwhelming to try to find your place here. Now more than ever it’s hard to get adjusted to the new normal, especially while getting adjusted to life on campus. If you feel like you’re having a hard time getting situated here, don’t stress too much and try these tips to help you!
Go for walks.
Going for a walk to hang out on the Main Quad is always one of my favorite activities to do. Try to take advantage of the nice weather while you can and get out as much as possible. Make sure to bring a mask in case you see a fun store you want to walk into!
Join an RSO or club sport.
Joining an RSO or club sport is a great way to meet new people who have the same interests as you. Even though it’s not always possible to meet in person during coronavirus times, a lot of clubs are still managing to make it work this semester, and they can be a great way to get involved on campus.
Keep a schedule.
With most classes being online — especially with asynchronous classes — it’s very easy to put off your work until the last minute and spend all day watching Netflix. While this is fun once a week, it really helps to get adjusted if you try to keep your life as normal as possible. Without the pandemic, we would be attending classes normally every day. Try to stick to this schedule as much as possible to try to keep some normalcy in your life.
Reach out to classmates.
A great way to meet new people and get more situated on campus is through making friends with people in your classes. If you get put in a breakout room with people in your class, maybe ask later if they want to exchange phone numbers. You never know where you can make a new connection!
The Spread 